Fear is in the Eye of the Beholder

The thought that fear is in the eye of the beholder came to mind last Thrusday night. My three year old was watching basketball with papa who was transfixed with surfing between the game and an episode of River Monsters. The host and biologist Jermey Wade goes on a night hunt on the Fitzroy River of Australia to track and catch a Sawfish.

I found myself viscerally opposed to the sensationalized imagery and scaremongering contained in the program. A high level of propagandizing nature in its habitat something, in my spectrum of motherhood, I find unsuitable for a 3 year old (no matter how fascinating the information and facts shared). In vocalizing my assessment I was confronted with papa’s comparison of this cinematography to the stories we read to our daughter weekly; the reality that although I found this episode distasteful (alot like a nature program on steroids) among my daughter’s favorite books are Peter and the Wolf, The Three Little Pigs, Where the Wild Things Are, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood (notice the theme here?). She is fascinated with the dark portrayal of the animal kingdom; portrayals such as wolfs, wild things and beasts as symbols of malintention, trickery and provocateurs of fear.

I am comfortable with exploring her fears in a fantastic literary context but when it comes to a cinematic portrayal of the dangerous and scary face of nature, real habitats, I find myself cringing.

Is it that fear is in the eye of the beholder? In this case myself with my deep fear for the unknown especially in dark water (as my sister can attest to) or is it that fear is “trained in the eye” of the beholder? Training derived from a variety of domains and in this case a domain; so effective, so intense, so targeted, it is a domain most of us will not live without……………………… TELEVISION!

“Fear is in the eyes of di beholder,
And love is in the presence of the love maker,
Life is in the words of the comforter,
Endure much longer,
Live much longer”

-Damian Marley

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Music for the UnSaturated Life

There is often room for more; in my case, more is often more music, more chocolate, more time with my family, more time alone; yes, more is part of what I have come to call the Unsaturated Life.

Tonight I listened to wondrous music; sultry vocals with wicked tunes, great lyrics and killer harmonizing; Madison Violet  passed through our small town of DTTPK (DownTown Takoma Park, MD).  They captivated local listeners with their alluring vocals and the clear chemistry of their sound. They made sweet music for those in attendance thanks to the under estimated Institute of Musical Traditions.

In a pure twist of fate last Saturday night I hopped into my car and turned on the radio; there playing right into the mellow mood I longed to attain ( following a competitive night of Win, Loose or Draw &  a few glasses of St. Supéry) came this tune.  I was as much enraptured by the sound as I was by the fact that this swanky tune had captured my Reggae following, Soca wining, Classic Soul and Samba loving ear’s rapt attention.  I immediately conducted a lyric search; pinpointed the tune, artists and downloaded the album to my smartest phone.

I became, thanks to the age of information, an instant fan. Tonight, just 5 days after learning of MDV I attended their local concert  purchasing an album for my Folk loving folks and for my sister in love  and her and Instrument making BF.

Tonight I toast my half full mug of enjoyable RB brew and say in the famous words of Oliver Twist, “Please, sir, I want some more.” 

All around!

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